World Cup Diary: Getting that star on the shirt is a legacy which can never be erased

In the changing room after the game, everyone was up and dancing and we obviously had the standard England songs of Sweet Caroline and everyone started jumping up and down.

I started jumping at the end of the game and Sarina grabbed me and was like ‘You’re not allowed to jump because we need to rest your legs for the next game’.

It's good to celebrate moments like that, something I probably wish I'd done more of in my career because you never know when you're going to be able to make a World Cup Final again.

It's amazing to be able to celebrate as a team; it means so much to all of us.

Lots of love for our @lauren__hemp! 😍 😅 pic.twitter.com/vRH3miVqtF

— Lionesses (@Lionesses) August 17, 2023

After the game felt a bit surreal, especially for me and Alex Greenwood. We just hugged each other and said, "We finally did it."

We both remember the World Cup in Canada in 2015, narrowly losing out and then again in 2019.

The last World Cup was the one where I was like, ‘We are going to win the World Cup. I have true belief that we are going to do that’. So to miss out was probably one of my biggest heartbreaks in football.

Having to wait another four years with all the anticipation, all the years of hard work, and the countless games leading up to just one World Cup, it's been a culmination of so much effort throughout my entire career to make this one moment happen.

One thing I realised early on was that we didn't have the star above our crest. When I was younger, you could only buy England’s men's shirts, which had a star. But when I played for England, I realised the women's team didn't have that star.

The aim is to win the World Cup because you want to win the World Cup but to get that star, it is something which can never be erased. It is a legacy that stays on every single shirt worn by every single fan and every single player.

Being just one 90-minute game away from finally having that little star on our crest, it would mean so much.

When it comes to before games, I tend to talk to the little mascot I'm paired with. My focus seems to be on ensuring they have an enjoyable moment and it is something they'll remember.

I always try to ask them where their family is sitting so they can wave. It's why we wave when we walk out because their family is somewhere in that stadium, and it's so heart-warming to see the look on their face when they walk out.

Away from the pitch, I've started building all the SpongeBob characters in Lego. I've got SpongeBob, Patrick, Sandy, Plankton and Mr. Krabs – he’s my favourite. I even made SpongeBob's pineapple house with his bed and Gary the Snail inside.

Not to brag, but I'm quite impressed with how it turned out.